Mount Prospect Completes Corridor Plan for Rand Road

(Published: 03-01-2017)

RTA partnership with Village encourages improved pedestrian and transit access along corridor.

MOUNT PROSPECT – The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is pleased to report that the Village of Mount Prospect Village Board recently accepted the Rand Road Corridor Plan, which was partially funded by the RTA. This Plan includes proposed improvements to the approximately two-mile corridor to improve overall traffic flow and multi-modal access to the businesses along the corridor. The plan focuses on land use and bicycle and pedestrian improvements to support transit use along the corridor, which is served by four Pace bus routes. Funding for the $125,000 plan is made up of $100,000 from the RTA’s Community Planning program and $25,000 from the Village of Mount Prospect.

The plan recommendations focus on land use, zoning, urban design, and market characteristics of the corridor, with a primary focus on transportation elements of the corridor. In addition to the four Pace routes currently serving the corridor, Rand Road has been identified by Pace as a future Pulse (express bus) corridor. By focusing on transit-supportive land uses and enhanced pedestrian access now, the Village can help prepare the corridor for this future service. Additional recommendations include potential intersection improvements to improve traffic (including bus) flow, urban design features to enhance the physical appearance of the corridor and implementation strategies.

“The RTA is pleased to partner with the Village of Mount Prospect in funding this study to enhance access along a major multi-modal corridor of the community,” says RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden. “This project is funded by the RTA’s Community Planning program, aimed at assuring access to transit is a priority in local community development.”

The RTA will continue to partner with the Village by providing expertise and assistance as the recommendations in the Plan are implemented. To date, the Community Planning program has completed more than 100 transit-oriented development plans and implementation plans since the late 1990’s using a combination of RTA, local and federal funds, totaling nearly $10 million.